ACT Up

As a pastor, I have often heard members express their feelings of inadequacies about their personal prayer lives. Mostly they feel they do not know how to pray. With that in mind, a number of years ago, I passed on to my congregation a formula that I had learned and found that it helped many to feel more comfortable about praying to our loving God.

The formula is as follows: A C T S (like the Book of Acts)

A is for ADORATION. Just as in the Lord's Prayer, our prayers should begin with Adoration to our loving God. We should always begin by telling God how great God is. How powerful God is, by bringing glory and honor to God's name.

"Dear God, I love you today. Loving and kind God I praise your holy name. I bless you and acknowledge that you are the one true and living God. You are all together lovely. You are the Great I Am. I bless you and hallow your name. There is none like you and I come this day as an empty piture before a full fountain -- you are the fount of every blessing --your name is worthy of all praise, glory and honor."

C is for CONFESSION. The Bible teaches that a confessed sin is a forgiven sin. When we go before our Holy God, we must first admit that we have sinned and come short of God's glory.

'Dear Lord, I know that I'm a sinner, but I believe that you can cleanse me of all my sins and unrighteousness. I have sinned against you and you alone. You died on Calvary's cross so that I could be forgiven of my sins and I acknowledge that I am not worthy to receive even the crumbs from your table. Please forgive me and give me power to walk upright before you. Keep me in the hallow of your hands and continue to make me and shape me into what you would have me to be. God I am so sorry that I have failed you time and time again, and I'm asking you to be merciful unto me.'

T is for THANKSGIVING. We often sing as a prayer refrain, 'Before I ask for anything, I want to thank you for everything, thank you, thank you, thank you Jesus, for all you've done for me.' And when we pray, that should be our attitude. To tell the Lord 'Thank You' first! Before we make our petitions for things -- for manifold blessings from God, take a moment to tell the Lord 'Thank You' for what God has already done for you.

Thank you for just waking me up this morning. Thank you for the air I breath. Thank you for keeping me clothed in my right mind. Thank you for my health and strength. Thank you for keeping my family safe. Thank you for every provision. Thank you for grace and for mercy. Thank you for loving a wretch like me. Lord, thank you for just being my sustainer, my maintainer and provider. Before I ask for anything, I just want to thank you for everything.'

S is for SUPPLICATION. Now that we have given the name of God glory; Now that we have confessed that we are sinners saved by grace. Now that we have given Thanksgiving unto our loving God -- we can now make our request known unto God. And just as our earthly fathers love to give children gifts, especially children who recognize the worth of their fathers, our heavenly Father loves to give us the very desires of our hearts.

So Loving God I come to you this morning knowing that you know my every need. But your word tells me to ask, to seek and to knock. So I come seeking your blessings for my life for this day. Without you I can do nothing. So I pray that first of all you create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. I pray that this day you will lead me and guide me along the way, for if you lead me, I cannot stray. Lord, I need you to bless and keep my family today. Lord I need you to open doors that have been shut so that my territory can be enlarged. Lord, I pray that you make a way for my bills to be paid, for me to put food on the table and keep a roof over my family's head. Give me health and strength to do the things you desire from me this day. Help me to live this day in a way that is pleasing and acceptable in your sight. Lord I love you and I ask these and all other blessings in the name of your beloved son, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Dr. Ann Lightner Fuller,
Pastor, Mt. Calvary AMEC
Towson, Maryland